Transformation Tuesday - A Look Inside

I know you all have been holding your breath waiting for my next big transformation post, but while I'm waiting on my current victim to finish answering my interview questions, I thought I'd share with you a little somethin' somethin' I came across a few weeks ago:

First of all, is it just me or does this picture I kiped from Amazon look like an invitation to look in her pants?  Hey, whatever gets you to buy the book, I guess.  Out of sheer curiosity, I clicked the link and it doesn't take you to the inside of her pants.  But I digress ...

Anyhoo ... I am currently having a love affair with this book.  It's a glorious mix of snark, wit, and reality.  If you've struggled with weight issues and all the emotional crap that comes with it for years and years and years ... you will LOVE this book.  I feel like she crawled inside my brain and stole all my thoughts and feelings.  I'm not finished with it yet, but when I do get a chance to sit down and read it, I have a hard time putting it down.  This girl just "gets" me.  I highly recommend it.  It's an entertaining read.  If you want to know HOW to lose weight, you may want to head on over to the Richard Simmons section.  That's not what this book is about.  This is more about how she dealt with her feelings as an overweight person and as an overweight person trying NOT to be an overweight person.  Plus, reading about a girl who lost 200-ish pounds after carrying them around for most of her life is just plain motivating and inspiring, if you ask me.

I would add, too, that if someone you love is fighting this battle, this book will give you insights that can help you have a little more understanding and compassion for that person's very real everyday struggles. Along those lines, and all joking aside, I think the "Look Inside" icon above fits perfectly as an advertisement for what this book provides.  If this is your struggle, you'll get a glimpse inside yourself.  If this is the struggle of someone you love, you'll get a peek at how it feels to be him/her.  

CLICK HERE for more about the author, Jennette Fulda.

Transformation Tuesday: Amberlee Booke

Amberlee Booke

5'5"

Highest weight:  200

Current weight:  134

Total lost:  66

One goal of mine in writing these Tuesday posts, besides inspiration for myself and others, is to show that there are all kinds of methods out there for losing weight.  No program is the "right" program.  If it works for you and it's improving your health, it's the "right" one.

For some people, a program with pre-packaged foods and personal coaching can provide a much-needed structure and accountability.  Today's success story, Amberlee Booke, was able to regain her health and confidence with just such a program.

Amberlee gained her weight after getting married and experiencing a great deal of stress at her job.  After developing a habit of skipping meals all day followed by eating nothing but junk in the evenings, she found herself carrying 200 pounds on her not-so-tall frame.  She saw herself in a picture one fateful day and decided it was time to make a change.

"I was determined to prove to myself that I could do it," Amberlee says.  "I followed the program 100%.  Didn't cheat once. I'm still proud of myself for that."

(Did she say she didn't cheat once?)

Since her program of choice requires eating a protein and vegetable meal each day along with the pre-packaged items, she found herself struggling to eat enough meat.  Remember, this was a girl whose main food group consisted of junk food, so adding protein was quite the challenge.  She says she was ready to quit.

"I was able to have a health coach and friend to help me through it.  I'm so happy I didn't give up!"

In 7 months, she'd lost 66 pounds and hasn't looked back.

Amberlee appreciates everything about her new life.  She was happy to fit into pants she hadn't worn in years, but thrilled when those became too big, too.  At 28, she is wearing a bikini for the first time in her life.  She has energy to try things she would never have dared to before.  She is more happy and confident than ever.  That confidence has helped her get through some hard times recently.

"I recently went through a divorce and I know it helped me through it because I believed more in myself.  If I'd still been heavy, the weight would have been just one more thing I hated about my life."

Amberlee is excited now to be passing her new healthy lifestyle habits onto others.  She has helped her dad change his life as well by coaching him to a 110 pound loss.  She has also become a coach for the program that helped her lose her weight.

"I love helping people believe in themselves, too!  I'm not perfect every day but now know the habits to a healthy life.  I won't ever let myself get back to where I was before."

If you'd like more info on the program Amber followed, contact her at ambshealthyhabits@gmail.com.